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Significant Shift in Way Country Views Pot; Chris Christie Speaks After Re-election; Christie Leaves Open Possibility of Presidential Run.

Aired November 06, 2013 - 13:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, New Jersey's newly re-elected governor, Chris Christie, is to take the podium in Union City, New Jersey. Christie celebrating his landslide victory over the Democratic challenger, Barbara Buono last night. Anxious to hear what Chris Christie has to say this hour.

And right now, President Obama is getting ready to leave D.C. and head to Dallas, Texas. He'll be thanking volunteers there who are helping consumers navigate the healthcare marketplace. Later, he'll attend fundraisers for Senate Democrats before heading back to D.C.

Right now, a record day on Wall Street. The Dow hitting an all-time high earlier today. Investors responding well to solid corporate earnings. Right now -- look at this -- the Dow up, what, 113 points.

Other news we're following, including smoking marijuana legally and making money off the sales. Voters have now weighed in on those issues and their decisions may suggest a significant shift in the way the country views pot.

Rene Marsh is joining us with more on what is going on.

There were key marijuana questions on ballots in a few states. What did we learn?

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it really, when you look at what happened at the polls, it begs the question: Is marijuana becoming mainstream? Now, Portland, Maine, became the first east coast city to make small amounts of marijuana legal for recreational use, even though recreational marijuana is illegal in the state. Three Michigan cities, including the state capital, voted to remove local penalties for adults with small amounts. But again, recreational use is legal there, too. And in Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal, nearly 70 percent voted to tax it. Now, that means this measure will impose a 25 percent tax to fund things like schooling construction and law enforcement. One group projects that by taxing it, they could raise $70 million in extra revenue next year.

BLITZER: From all of these initiatives, what's the take-away we should get from the effort to legalize marijuana in other states and other municipalities? MARSH: The big picture or the big take-away here is simply that the public opinion on marijuana, it has changed. And it has changed drastically. Take a look at the Gallup pull from just last month. The majority of Americans favor legalizing marijuana. 10 percent surge in the past year. It's worth noting, when they first took the polling, in 1969, only 12 favored legalization. And, of course, as we continue to see legalized marijuana catch on, the states, they're cashing in. A recent study says the U.S. legal marijuana market is growing faster than Smartphone sales. The same report says that this year the U.S. market netted more than $1 billion. And they believe that next year, it could net more than $2 billion.

BLITZER: Here's a question though: Some of these states are legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Some municipalities are doing the same thing. The federal government does not believe in legalized marijuana so there's a fight going on right now. What's going on?

MARSH: It is. And you know what, the federal government has really taken a very ambiguous stance on this. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law. It is still listed as one of the most dangerous substances in the Controlled Substances Act. Yet, the federal government says they will not challenge states who have legalized marijuana. And in an exclusive interview with our Evan Perez, he pushed Attorney General Eric Holder on that point. And Holder simply said it's up to Congress to act when it comes to removing marijuana from that list of the most dangerous substances. So kind of putting it on Congress's hands.

So until then, we have this patchwork of laws here throughout the country and we watch this issue evolve essentially from, is it legal, is it not legal, and now regulating it.

BLITZER: As far as the federal government is concerned, if you're busted for marijuana, that's a federal crime. You go to jail. And in some states, it's totally recreational and legal. So there's a challenge there that the country is going to have to deal with.

MARSH: Yeah.

BLITZER: Rene, thanks very much.

Rene Marsh, reporting.

The results of several other ballot measures are catching people's attention across the country. In Colorado, voters in 11 counties have weighed in on a proposal to secede and form the country's 51st state. Votes still being counted. But right now the yes vote is leading in five counties, the no vote in six. Even if that measure were to win, by the way, it wouldn't become law because the state legislature and then Congress would have to approve it. Guess what? That's not happening.

Results are also being tabulated on a measure in Washington State that would require labeling on all foods containing genetically modified ingredients. So far, 54 percent of the voters are rejecting the measure, 45 percent supporting it.

And a vote in Texas appears to have sealed the fate of the first domed stadium in the United States. 53 percent of the voters have opposed a plan to turn the landmark Houston Astro Dome into a convention center. A group of local officials will now decide what to do with the empty stadium. But they're expected to vote for a demolition, which won't be cheap.

We know who won, we know who lost on Election Day, but what does it all mean for the political road ahead? We'll break it down. The results from Virginia, from New Jersey. Two members of the "Crossfire" team are here, live. Newt Gingrich and Van Jones are ready to debate, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Let's listen in. New Jersey's newly re-elected governor, Chris Christie, speaking to a friendly crowd in Union City, New Jersey.

CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R), GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY: So a great night last night. I am thrilled to have campaigning behind me and to get back to governing, which is what we're going to do starting today and get back to work. And that's what this is all about at the end of it, is the opportunity to govern, the opportunity to make a difference in our state. And with partners like Brian and others in the state legislature, I am confident that we'll be able to do that.

I had a conversation this morning with the Senate president and congratulated him on his victory yesterday in District 3 and the victory of his candidates.

As you all know, Steve and I have had a good relationship over the last four years, I don't see any reason that that's going to change over the next four. We committed, once again, yesterday -- today, rather -- with each other to work together over the next number of years. And, in fact, we'll meet tomorrow in Trenton to begin to lay out the agenda for the lame-duck session and for the new session that will begin in January after the inauguration. So we're going to continue to work together. Do the same things we've done before. It's produced a good result that the people of New Jersey seem pretty happy with. If that's the case, there's no reason to fix it if it's not broken. I think the public came to that conclusion. And so it's my job now to make it happen. And that's exactly what I intend to do over the course of the next four years.

So, even though I've been extraordinarily available on the trail to answer all the people's questions, to allow them to talk to me during the times when we had no availabilities, I know there's been a little carping about the fact that you haven't had me behind the podium to answer your questions, so here you go.

(LAUGHTER)

And for those of you --

(LAUGHTER)

-- and, and --

(LAUGHTER)

Obviously, the students behind me have seen me before doing this. So for the uninitiated, we answer good questions. So I hope you have some good ones this morning.

We'll go to an out-of-Towner, first.

Kelly, you've been following me around for a week. Wave what have you got?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You said want people around the country to watch what you've accomplished here. Are you prepared to make any adjustments to your personal style, to tone down your brashness to appeal to people beyond New Jersey?

CHRISTIE: No. Listen, no, this is who I am, Kelly. You're asking me, at 51 years old now, to become a different person.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Just to adjust.

CHRISTIE: Listen, I adjust all the time, which I think folks who watch me all the time notice. I am not a one-trick pony. And I have the ability to be able to read a situation and to conduct myself in the way that I think is the most effective. But that's what governs what I do. I'm not here to put on a show. I'm here to win. And I define winning in everything that I do. It's not just about last night. It's about on a particular issue, on a particular vote in the legislature. What I attempt to do is to express myself in a way that I think will be most effective to be able to govern. That's what the executive's job is. So but fundamentally, I'm not going to be changing who I am.

You know, I think the verdict from last night is that at least in New Jersey, people like who I am. And like the way I govern and so I'm just going to continue to be that way. I have no responsibilities other than the responsibilities that I have in the state. And to the extent that anybody, as I implied last night, can draw lessons from that, they're welcome to and I'm happy to talk about it with anybody who wants to talk about it.

But as for the fundamental part of your question, no, Kelly, I don't see myself changing any time soon. That's why I used the line to end the speech last night about what my mother used to tell me as a kid, you know, be yourself. And you don't have to worry tomorrow, try to remember who you pretended to be yesterday. That's what my mom used to tell me and my younger brother and my younger sister. She drilled it into us for years. This is me. Some people's cup of tea, maybe not. But that will be for other people to decide. Right now, the only people I have to worry about pleasing are the people who live within the confines of this state. From last night, I think I'm doing OK.

Dana?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Deborah Feyerick from CNN. You told a kid in the class a moment ago that you're not running for president. But everybody is talking about you running for president. The question is, how do you keep that from becoming a major distraction over the next couple of years as you govern the state of New Jersey?

CHRISTIE: Yeah. I don't get distracted very easily. It takes a lot to distract me. And I think the way it won't be distraction is that I simply won't let it.

Listen, Deborah, one of the things you saw in 2010 and 2011, was that there was enormous speculation about me running for president then, and I would get asked about it almost at every press conference, even though the entire time I would say, no, I'm not running. Until finally, I had a press conference that once again said I wasn't running. So I've gone through this before. And we achieved a lot during that time. So it's not new to me. So I've had the speculation about it before. If it comes again, it comes again. I think that's nothing but good for the people of New Jersey. Because they wouldn't be speculating about somebody who wasn't doing their job well. And so, speculating about me, that means I'm continuing to do my job well. If I'm doing my job, that's good for the people here. So I've never seen it as a distraction and I've never -- and as I've said before, I don't see it as a burden, either. You got to have such a huge ego, right, to, oh, please, it's such a burden for you to be speculating me, about being the next leader of the free world. Stop. I'm so burdened. I mean, you know, that's a pretty huge ego to be complaining about that. it's complementary, it's flattering, and I have no problem with it, but I'm going to be really clear about this, I've got a job to do. I got re-elected to do a job last night. That's the job I'm going to do. I'm not worried about all this other stuff. And if the time comes where I change my mind about that and I decide I want to do something else, I'll tell the people of New Jersey I want to do something else. But this is what I want to do. That is why I ran for re-election.

FEYERICK: Thank you.

CHRISTIE: Luke?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION). So does that in any way complicate -- (INAUDIBLE).

CHRISTIE: No, they tried to elect Barbara Buono. I'm not mad at them, either. It's their job. You know, they held fundraisers for her. They campaigned with her. She lost. I won. They have to deal with me. They won. I have to deal with them. That's the way it goes. This is practicality. You know, elections have consequences. And those consequences cannot be, "I didn't get my way, therefore, I'm taking my ball and going and holding my breath."

People made a decision. in New Jersey they have decided they want divided government. We could sit around and debate why that is, but that doesn't change the circumstance. So my job today is to do that. The good news is I got four years experience dealing with it. So it's not like I'm coming in cold to it like I did four years ago. I know how to do this. And by the way, so does Steve. So I'm not concerned about it at all. We'll do the best we can.

You know, Steven and I talked about this this morning. Elections are elections. We do what we have to do. He campaigned hard for his folks and I campaigned hard for mine, and then people decide. And they've made their decision and they've made their voices clear. And now it's time for us to go to work. And we'll do it. So I have no concerns about it at all.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORT: Governor -- (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)

BLITZER: All right, so you get the gist. The outspoken newly re- elected governor, Chris Christie, making it clear he's got a job to do in New Jersey but he's leaving open the possibility that he might run for president of the United States.

We have a lot to assess right now. Van Jones and Newt Gingrich -- let's show them to our viewers. Right now, they're both here. We'll discuss Chris Christie, what happened, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We just heard Chris Christie. Always outspoken, always candid.

Let's discuss what we heard. Van Jones is here, Newt Gingrich is here, the co-hosts of "Crossfire."

What do you think? He made it clear to me last night, the days leading up to this, he's seriously thinking of trying to do what you tried to do, get the Republican presidential nomination.

NEWT GINGRICH, CO-HOST, CROSSFIRE: Sure he is. He ought to be. If you look at his results last night, he's got a lot going for him. I think he's doing it the right way. The tone today, workmanlike, practical, reaching out to the Democrats. A wonderful anecdote to how sick people are of the city right now.

BLITZER: He got so much support from non-Republican segments, whether it's women, even young people, minorities.

(CROSSTALK)

VAN JONES, CO-HOST, CROSSFIRE: You're falling for it. You're falling for it.

BLITZER: You don't believe it?

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: You don't believe the exit polls? He won by 60 percent.

JONES: He was running unopposed. I could run those numbers.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Barbara Buono was the Democrat.

JONES: And she got --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Why did the Democrats cave and not even try to help her?

JONES: Listen, first of all, this guy is enormously appealing. He has a great personality. He's a master showman. But the myth of Chris Christie cannot survive close scrutiny. You would think, based on what everybody is saying about him, he's creating jobs. He's got the worst job record of any state in that neighborhood. You would think he's a big tax fighter. Property taxes are up there.

BLITZER: So why do they like him?

JONES: Because he was there for that storm. This is a very simple story. We could overanalyze this. We had a governor there in the biggest disaster and he there for them in the storm, and they rewarded him for that.

(CROSSTALK)

JONES: But there are 49 other governors who have been there as well for their people.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Well, there are plenty of examples of disasters, whether in Katrina, wherever --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: -- that governors did not do a good job.

JONES: I give him that. But let's be clear. This guy, who is supposed to be a fiscal conservative, wasted $12 million of money to make sure Cory Booker ran three weeks ahead of him so he could run up these margins so he be out there saying, oh, my god, he can get everyone to vote for him. You know why? He ran unopposed and he wasted $12 million. He was afraid of Cory Booker's coattails.

GINGRICH: I think the intensity of Van's reaction tells you how serious Democrats are going to take this.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: He would be a formidable Republican presidential --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: -- but can he get the -- can he win in Iowa, South Carolina, Florida? Here's the question. You understand this. You were there. We did a lot of the debates together. Is he a Rudy Giuliani or is he a Mitt Romney?

GINGRICH: He's neither. He is more conservative than Romney, which makes him much more conservative than Giuliani. He's pro life. Despite what Van just said, the government last year in New Jersey spent less than it spent in 2008. He's been a fiscal conservative. He's been a lot like Scott Walker in taking on the government employee unions. He's got a good story to tell.

People overstate the relative conservatism. Iowa has a moderate conservative governor who has been re-elected over and over. South Carolina has a reform --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: So you think Christie could win in Iowa, the caucuses?

GINGRICH: I think if Christie is out there and is willing to relax, do what he talked about last night, listen to the people of Iowa, of South Carolina, he could do surprisingly well.

JONES: First of all, what he did remarkably well was run, not as a Republican. Let's be very clear. This is a not-good-outcome for Tea Party style Republicans. Let's be clear about that. He threw in the towel on gay marriage weeks before this election. He's done a lot of things to try to get away from what's going on in the main firehouses of his own party. First of all, now he's going to have to tack back and pretend he's some fire-breathing Republican conservative. I think he begins to tarnish that authenticity brand.

GINGRICH: Look, this is a guy who defunded Planned Parenthood, which every right-to-life activist in the country will be thrilled by. He's somebody who has been very firm. No one is going to be perfect in this game, but if he does run, he's going to run on being effective, and he's going to run on bringing people together.

BLITZER: I want to play a clip.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Van, listen to this clip.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Well, listen to this clip. This is what he said last night. I want you to listen to the words he said because some folks have heard this clip we're about to play and think he's already looking ahead, potentially, to a run against Hillary Clinton in a general election. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIE: For those veterans out there tonight, you know, you know how sacred a mission is. The sacredness of the mission of a soldier is that no one ever is left behind. No one is ever left behind on the battlefield. And on the battlefield that Sandy turned this state into, New Jerseyans will never leave any New Jerseyans behind.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Did you get a nuance there? Or am I over reading it?

(LAUGHTER)

Because the implication, potentially -- I don't know if this is what he was thinking -- Benghazi, leaving soldiers behind on the battlefield. Hillary Clinton was the secretary of state.

JONES: First of all, certainly Mr. Authenticity, who has told you over and over again, he's not running for president. You believe this shtick, that he's Mr. Authentic, and he's not running for president. I'm sure nothing in that speech was designed --

(CROSSTALK)

JONES: I'm sure nothing in that speech --

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

JONES: Listen --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: You think that was sort of a suggestion about Benghazi?

JONES: If it was, it was a cheap shot, and it would be keeping in the character that he has. He's the guy at the party who, as long as you like him, he's laughing --

GINGRICH: Why is --

(CROSSTALK)

JONES: -- but he's also yelling and making fun of school teachers. You get that bully.

GINGRICH: Why is it a cheap shot to suggest that we shouldn't leave soldiers behind?

(CROSSTALK)

GINGRICH: Most Americans are going to resonate and say, yeah, isn't that a standard we ought to have?

JONES: Exactly right. However, we have dead Americans and there's one political party in the country that, from my point of view, has been demagoguing that and have been doing so in a way that I think is unfair to those families and unfair to our country. If he wants to join the parade, that puts him in the kind of politics, the cheap- shot, divisive politics that he says he's against.

BLITZER: You want to follow up?

GINGRICH: All I can say is there are a lot of U.S. Senators right now who have indicated very firmly, led by Lindsey Graham and John McCain and others, that they don't believe the State Department has been honest. They don't believe that Secretary Clinton has been honest. I don't think they were doing that on behalf of Chris Christie. They're really concerned.

BLITZER: You guys will have much more later tonight, 6:30 p.m. eastern, right after "The Situation Room." A new "Crossfire," which we look forward to every day.

Thanks to both of you for joining us.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: By the way, Senators David Vitter and Bernie Sanders will be in the "Crossfire" with Van and Newt later tonight, 6:30 p.m. eastern.

That's it for me. Thanks very much for watching. I'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room."

NEWSROOM continues right now with Brooke Baldwin.